After Qin Peng moved back to the Wei family, Qin Shuhuai lay in bed at night, tossing and turning.

Jiang Chun stood outside the door, listening to the noises from inside, and finally couldn't help himself: "Prince, how about we go to the Wei Mansion and I'll pry the door open for you?"

"No."

Qin Shuhuai sighed: "We'll see tomorrow."

It was said to be tomorrow, but Qin Shuhuai felt that this night was particularly long. He slept and woke up, woke up and slept again, and woke up three times in a daze, and finally made it to the Yin hour. Qin Shuhuai got up very early, washed up, and rushed to the gate of Wei Mansion to wait.

As soon as Qin Peng came out, he saw Qin Shuhuai's carriage. Qin Shuhuai was sitting in the carriage and had heard the sound of the Wei Mansion's door opening, but he was arrogant and didn't stick his head out.

Zhao Yi knew that Qin Shuhuai was having a hard time holding back, so he sighed and said in a pretentious manner, "My Lord, the princess is out."

"Um."

Qin Shuhuai responded, rolled up the curtain from inside, and looked up at Qin Peng.

Qin Peng didn't know what expression to use to face this person who pretended to be the one who knew she came out. With Qin Shuhuai's hearing ability, it was absolutely impossible for him to say that he didn't hear the door open.

However, Qin Peng didn't want to expose Qin Shuhuai's little thoughts, so he coughed lightly and said with a smile: "Your Highness is here very early."

"Well, get in the car."

Qin Shuhuai put down the curtain and turned his head back. Qin Peng felt a little puzzled, but after thinking about it, he still got on Qin Shuhuai's carriage.

After getting in the car, Qin Shuhuai didn't say anything, so Qin Peng closed his eyes and began to catch up on his sleep. Qin Shuhuai held his breath for a while, and finally asked, "Did you sleep well last night?"

Qin Peng slowly opened his eyes, responded with a nasal sound, and said in a hoarse voice: "I read the memorial a little late."

Her voice was lazily like someone who had just woken up, like gravel scratching silk, making people's hearts itch.

She has been gorgeous and charming since she was young. When she was still Zhao Peng, she had almond-shaped eyes and liked to use a pen to draw a curve at the end of her eyes. Now Qin Peng's appearance is naturally with slightly raised eyes, and one glance at her is enough to make people's hearts melt.

He turned his eyes away stiffly, forgetting what he had just wanted to say. All he could think of were the ridiculous things he and she had done when they were teenagers.

People are like this. Before getting married, they don't understand how good the girl is. That is to say, when something happens, they panic and scold her with a stern face, as if this can calm themselves down.

After we got married and understood the feeling, we became addicted to it and couldn't stop. Now, when we meet again after seven years, I always feel a little impatient.

Fortunately, he had been able to be patient over the years. For fear of shocking this person, he had always followed the rules, approaching her step by step, letting her get used to it and accept it.

He thought he was very patient, but sometimes he felt that his patience would not last long.

He looked at the curtain outside, silently recalling the various memorials. Qin Peng saw that he was stiff and asked in surprise, "Did you go to bed early last night? How come you are so energetic?"

"I don't sleep much." Qin Shuhuai felt himself slowly calming down, but he dared not look at Qin Peng again. After thinking for a while, he added: "You should also stop sleeping and clear your mind."

She went to court so lazily, and considering her beauty, I'm sure other people would be tempted by her.

Qin Peng propped up his chin and looked at him, yawning and saying, "But I'm sleepy."

"I'll talk to you and you won't feel sleepy anymore."

"Then tell me."

Qin Shuhuai: "..."

He didn't know what to say, so after thinking for a while, he started talking to her about the war in the south.

"Wei Yan sent me several reports of their battles. I think Beiyan was behind this."

Hearing Beiyan, Qin Peng raised her head. She frowned, not knowing what to say for a moment.

She was born and raised in Northern Yan, but now she was the eldest princess in Qi. She didn't know how to position herself for a moment, so she could only say, "If that's the case, don't tell me."

Qin Shuhuai frowned when he heard this: "In your heart, is Beiyan still your country?"

"When you grow up in Beiyan and reach the age of 20, Qi is no longer your motherland?"

Qin Peng found it a little funny. She lifted her hair and sighed, "I can't go back to my status as the eldest princess now, but I don't want to help Qi deal with it. Don't tell me."

Qin Shuhuai didn't say anything. After a long while, he finally asked, "Do you want to see Zhao Yu?"

Qin Peng was slightly startled, and then a gentle look appeared on his face. That look was full of nostalgia, and Qin Shuhuai's heart couldn't help but tense up.

He always knew that Zhao Yu was different. From the past to now, Zhao Yu has always been the most important person in Qin Peng's heart.

Sometimes he would think, if it wasn’t because Zhao Yu was her biological brother, if it wasn’t because Zhao Yu was three years younger than her and was still a child…

How could he tolerate such a person being around Qin Peng?

Originally, I thought that after being away from home for so many years, Qin Peng's thoughts on Zhao Yu would fade a little. However, now, with just one expression, Qin Shuhuai understood that Zhao Yu would always be the most important one in Qin Peng's heart.

"If I have the chance, I would like to see him too."

Qin Peng's voice was gentle.

Qin Shuhuai picked up the teacup and drank a sip of tea, and stopped talking. Qin Peng, however, became more energetic and asked him about Zhao Yu's past few years.

What Qin Shuhuai said was similar to what she had known over the years. Qin Peng listened and sighed, "It really is me, A-Yu."

"He has been the smartest since he was a kid."

"So many noble ladies are courting him? He must be very handsome now. Yes, he has been handsome since he was a child."

"He has loved me the most since he was little. In the past, when it was cold in winter and there was no charcoal fire in the cold palace, he would squeeze in with me and ask me if I was cold. If I was cold, he would take off his clothes and give them to me. He only had so many clothes," Qin Peng gestured, "and he was not afraid of freezing himself to death."

"I thought at that time," Qin Peng's eyes were filled with nostalgia, "No one in this world will ever be so kind to me again."

"I can."

Qin Shuhuai spoke decisively. Qin Peng was stunned for a moment, then turned his head away in a hurry: "I was just saying it casually. You're all grown up now, why would you still care about these things?"

As they approached the palace, Qin Shuhuai moved closer to her.

Qin Peng felt him approaching, and her heart beat faster. His warmth enveloped her, and she shrank back in fear.

Qin Shuhuai stopped moving. He looked down at the person who was forcing himself to turn his head to look at the back of the car. He endured for a while and finally sighed.

"Peng Peng, you know what I'm thinking."

"If you don't push me away, I'll tacitly allow you to let me get close to you."

Qin Peng didn't say anything. She stared at the swaying wall of the carriage. Qin Shuhuai half squatted down and held her hand.

"I didn't sleep well last night."

"I miss you."

His voice seemed to be filled with sugar and honey: "I really want to."

Qin Peng's face suddenly turned red. She opened her mouth and stammered, "You... why are you so slick now?"

Qin Shuhuai lowered his eyes and looked at her slender white hands, with some regret in his voice.

"After you left, I felt a lot of regrets."

"I have been thinking, when you were alive, why didn't I tell you more often that I liked you, why didn't I tell you more often what I was thinking, why did I always keep it secret and let you guess? I always rejected you, let you chase me, and then prove that you liked me."

As he spoke, he raised his head, his eyes and eyebrows seemed to be shining: "I am extremely regretful."

"I should be nicer to you. I should be nicer to you as much as I like you in my heart."

Qin Peng looked at him blankly.

The carriage stopped and he half-knelt down and looked at her with a gentle and long gaze.

Qin Peng felt as if he was walking on clouds, and his whole body was light and floating. He was dragged to the court by him in a daze, and then he came back to his senses.

She felt as if her heart was an ice field, and someone suddenly opened a crack in it. She felt a little scared, but also a little expectant.

She seemed like a prisoner trapped in a glacier, and the crack provided her with light and warmth, making her suddenly feel that perhaps this was possible.

She knew very well where the knot between her and Qin Shuhuai lay.

She doesn't trust him.

When she was young, this was the man she had been chasing and forcing. No matter how many times she told him she liked him, he would only respond with a faint "Yeah, got it."

Sometimes she would wonder, if it hadn't been for that accident, would Qin Shuhuai really marry her, the Princess of Northern Yan?

If he was not a hostage, but the high and mighty Crown Prince of Qi, would he really be willing to marry her as his legal wife and promise her to be together forever?

Oh no, a lifetime of one person, this kind of promise was actually forced out of her by herself. He never said it on his own initiative.

She originally thought that this would be the life of Qin Shuhuai. She kept guessing, chasing, doubting, and expecting.

However, this person seemed to have changed suddenly, and she couldn't help but think that maybe one day, she could go back to the time before she was thirteen and be able to trust someone wholeheartedly.

When she was leaving court, Qin Shuhuai was waiting for her. She walked out from behind the pearl curtain and saw the young man in court robes standing in the light.

Her heart was beating faster and she followed Qin Shuhuai out. When they walked out of the hall, Qin Shuhuai approached her silently, holding the tablet in one hand and holding her hand under his wide sleeves with the other.

Qin Peng felt that her heartbeat must be very loud, maybe he could hear it. She pretended to look at the scenery beside her and said nothing. Qin Shuhuai looked straight ahead with a calm expression and said nothing either.

Jiang Chun and Zhao Yi, who were following behind the two of them, felt a little awkward.

The two of them got on the carriage hand in hand, and then they separated, looking at their own memorials and chatting about today's events. When they arrived at Wei Mansion, Qin Peng got off the carriage. Not long after he got off, Qin Peng heard a voice from the carriage: "Wait."

Qin Peng turned his head, and Qin Shuhuai rolled up the curtain and walked out: "Can I accompany you for a while?"

This time he didn't make excuses, he just asked directly if he could accompany her.

Qin Peng wanted to refuse, and just as he was about to open his mouth, he heard a young man's voice coming from inside: "Come with me!"

Qin Peng suddenly turned around and saw that it was Wei De, the oldest of the five young masters in the Wei Mansion. He was lying by the door, blinking.

After he finished shouting, four young men popped up from behind him and said in unison, "Come with me!"

Qin Shuhuai was confused by these kids. Qin Peng rolled up his sleeves and rushed in: "You guys are rebelling, right?! I will beat you to death for you today!"

Qin Peng rushed in with what he said, and the children scattered. Qin Shuhuai reacted, suppressed his smile, and followed Zhao Yi and Jiang Chun in. After they walked a few steps, Qin Peng came back.

Qin Shuhuai looked at the panting Qin Peng and asked with a smile, "Where is he?"

"I ran too fast and couldn't catch up."

Qin Peng raised her hand to fan herself, and Qin Shuhuai handed her a handkerchief: "Are these the young masters of the Wei family?"

Except for Wei Yan, all the members of the Wei family died in the war. Only the fourteen-year-old Wei Yan was left with five children. The oldest one was less than four years old at the time, and that was Wei De.

Everyone who came to Xuanjing had to give these five young masters some respect, so they became arrogant and domineering. In addition, the Wei family did not study much, so they were very naughty.

Qin Peng's head hurts whenever he thinks about these children.

She and Qin Shuhuai talked about the five children and went to the hall. As soon as Qin Shuhuai entered, he saw the old lady Wei sitting upstairs. Qin Shuhuai was slightly stunned, and the old lady Wei came up eagerly.

"The Regent King has come to visit us. Our humble family is honored. Come and work here."

As she spoke, Old Lady Wei asked Qin Shuhuai to sit opposite her. Qin Shuhuai bowed respectfully and sat down. He glanced at Qin Peng cautiously, and seeing that Qin Peng also looked confused, he said respectfully: "I haven't seen you for a long time, old lady. Are you all right?"

"Okay, okay," Old Lady Wei nodded and sighed, "The prince is so handsome. He looks even better now. He is even more handsome than A-Yan."

Qin Shuhuai: "..."

There is no way to respond to what this old lady said.

"Oh, don't worry about what I say. Are you here to pick up Peng'er and take her back to the palace? As soon as you arrived at the door, I heard the housekeeper say that I had packed everything."

As she spoke, Old Lady Wei pointed to the luggage beside her and said happily, "Hurry up and pick her up. Treat her well. I'll come to see you in two days. When the time is right, you can come and ask for marriage. I'll make the decision on this matter, and you can get married!"

Qin Peng: “…”

How much I want her to leave.

Feeling that Qin Peng was not happy, Qin Shuhuai frowned and explained anxiously: "Old lady, I..."

"I'm relieved!" Old Lady Wei held Qin Shuhuai's hand and said with trust: "Prince, I can trust you. I know that only Peng'er would abandon you, and you will never do anything to let Peng'er down."

"No, Peng Peng and I..."

"It's not important," the old lady raised her hand to stop Qin Shuhuai from speaking, "These empty formalities are not important! We in the Wei family don't care about these things. You and her live a good life. Why do you care about those rumors? You are the regent and the eldest princess, why do you care about what those monsters say? Live together well, get engaged and get married, and we will talk about it later. First, have a little prince..."

"housekeeper."

Qin Peng couldn't listen any longer, so he interrupted the old lady and said calmly, "Let's take away the braised pork tonight."

"Wait!" Old Lady Wei raised her head in grief: "You still want to stay to finish the meal? You quarreled at the head of the bed and made up at the foot of the bed. Do you have to be so cold and shiver for so long?"

"Mother," Qin Peng smiled slightly, stepped forward to support Old Lady Wei, and said gently, "Don't worry, I won't marry, and I will still serve you."

Hearing this, Old Lady Wei shuddered. Qin Peng suppressed his smile and said with a tearful expression: "Mother, have you abandoned me? I am a widow for Ah Yang..."

"Don't cry!" Old Lady Wei grabbed her and said with a headache: "My eldest daughter-in-law, hold back your tears. You can stay as long as you want. I'm leaving. I have a headache!"

Having said that, Old Lady Wei stood up in a hurry, turned around and walked out.

Qin Shuhuai and Qin Peng were the only two people left in the hall. Qin Peng turned around and looked at him: "This is the old lady. She's quite interesting."

Qin Shuhuai nodded, and it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry.

Qin Peng invited him to have dinner, and after dinner she took him to visit the garden. She introduced the courtyards of the Wei family to Qin Shuhuai one by one. Most of the mansions of the nobles were inherited from generation to generation, and each had its own merits. When they arrived at Qin Peng's own courtyard, she smiled and said, "This is where I live."

Qin Shuhuai responded and looked over.

It is a small courtyard, plain and neatly maintained, with a large open space.

"Why don't you plant some flowers in the yard?"

Qin Shuhuai was a little surprised. Qin Peng led him to the room, looked back, and said gently: "This piece of land is reserved for Wei Yang to do morning exercises. He has the habit of doing morning exercises in his own yard, so he doesn't plant flowers and plants."

Qin Shuhuai paused slightly and lowered his eyes.

Qin Peng led him to the study, and Qin Shuhuai looked up.

There are many military strategies and weapon manuals in the study, many of which are obviously not something Qin Peng would read.

Wei Yang has been dead for ten years, but Qin Peng's life is full of his traces.

Qin Shuhuai knew that he shouldn't ask these questions or think about these things, but when these things suddenly appeared in front of him, he still couldn't help but wonder whether that person had done the same things with Qin Peng as he did.

He felt like something was stuck in his chest, and he felt bitter. When Qin Peng asked him if he wanted to go shopping again, he raised his eyes and said calmly, "It's late. I'll go back first."

After saying that, Qin Shuhuai turned around and walked out.

Qin Peng was stunned, not understanding why Qin Shuhuai suddenly got angry.

Qin Shuhuai walked halfway when he remembered something and stopped: "I will pick you up tomorrow morning. Don't stay up too late tonight. If you have any questions, ask me. Don't try to figure it out yourself bit by bit."

Qin Peng pursed his lips and responded, "Okay."

Qin Shuhuai felt relieved when he heard the gentle "OK". He stood under the light and turned his head: "Then I'll leave?"

"Um."

Qin Peng nodded: "I won't see you off."

Qin Shuhuai stood there for a while and sighed. Qin Peng didn't understand why Qin Shuhuai sighed, so she saw him walk back, hold her face, and kiss her forehead.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow."

After saying that, before Qin Peng could react, Qin Shuhuai left. When Qin Peng reacted, it was... it was useless.

Qin Peng raised his hand and touched the place where he had kissed his lips, his heart beating rapidly.

In fact, she didn't know what was going on.

She just wanted to be nicer to Qin Shuhuai. It was just that Qin Shuhuai said that she should be more frank and give it a try, so she tried hard to like this man again, accept this man, and be worthy of his love.

What Qin Shuhuai said was right: love doesn't mean it doesn't exist just because she doesn't accept it.

From the beginning to the end, she just wanted Qin Shuhuai to live a good life. If it was unfair to accept love when she was not worthy of it and could not return the same love, then it would be too cruel to directly reject it when there was a possibility of development.

But she didn't expect it to be so fast...

Covering his forehead, Qin Peng felt his heart beating fast, sweet and frightened.

While I was thinking about things, Wei Long, the chief of the guards of the Wei Mansion, suddenly rushed over.

Most of the guards in the Wei Mansion are veterans who have been relieved from the battlefield. They are certainly not as elite as the elite, but compared with ordinary soldiers, they are completely on a different level.

Wei Yan walked quickly to Qin Peng, with a murderous aura on his face. He knelt on one knee, holding a piece of paper in his hand, and said in a deep voice: "Princess, the general sent a private message from the Wei Mansion. The general was ambushed and seriously injured. The situation in the southern military camp has changed. Please send someone reliable to stabilize the situation."

Qin Peng snatched the note, glanced at it and frowned.

The Wei family now relies entirely on Wei Yan. Once something happens to Wei Yan, Zhang Ying, Qin Shuhuai and others will definitely demand a replacement of generals on the battlefield.

After Wei Yan is replaced, and this war is finally over, a portion of the southern troops will probably be allocated to this "new" commander-in-chief.

It was based on this consideration that Wei Yan held back on revealing the news of his injury. Instead, he sent a letter to Qin Peng, asking Qin Peng to find someone to assist him on the battlefield.

But how could Qin Peng find someone who could be entrusted with such an important task at this moment? If he was not careful, the person he sent might kill Wei Yan, and the Wei family would be finished.

If the Wei family is finished, then Qin Peng is finished. If it weren't for Wei Yan as a backstage, who in the court would take Qin Peng seriously?

Qin Peng thought for a moment and said, "Prepare the horses. I will go to the border myself."

After saying that, she turned and walked into the room, leaving a letter for Qin Shuhuai, briefly explaining the situation, but she did not mention Wei Yan's injury. She just said that she felt something was wrong in the south and wanted to go there to take a look.

She is now willing to believe Qin Shuhuai, but the Wei family is a bargaining chip that she cannot gamble with, and she cannot afford to make any mistakes.

After Qin Peng finished writing the letter, he hurried to the old lady's room, briefly explained the general situation, and handed the letter to the old lady: "I asked the housekeeper to deliver the memorial, saying that I am recuperating at home. Qin Shuhuai may come to ask about it. If he asks, you can give him this letter and let him look after the Ministry of War for me."

The old lady was also a person who had seen many storms and waves. She nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'm here. Saving your life is the most important thing, nothing else matters, do you understand?"

Qin Peng responded, put on the hood of his cloak, turned around and walked out the door. After mounting his horse, he led his men out of the city under the cover of night.

Qin Peng rushed all the way south, and it was already the next morning when the news of her leaving the city came.

Qin Shuhuai looked at Qin Peng's letter of leave and was absent-minded throughout the morning court. He went to Wei Mansion as soon as the court ended, fearing that Qin Peng was really not in good health. However, as soon as he got on the carriage, Zhao Yi followed him with a frown.

"Master, the spies reported that a group of people left the city last night with the princess's warrant."

Hearing this, Qin Shuhuai suddenly raised his head, and then he reacted and immediately said: "Hurry up and prepare the horse for me, I want to find Wei Yan!"

Zhao Yi was stunned for a moment. Qin Shuhuai stood up and jumped off the carriage, speaking quickly and steadily: "Send someone to Wei Mansion to get the letter that Pengpeng left for me, and call out my substitute to act on my behalf temporarily. Let's go south first."

"How did the prince know that Wei Yan was in trouble?"

Zhao Yi followed behind Qin Shuhuai, still not understanding. Jiang Chun had already gone to give orders, and Qin Shuhuai's brows were cold: "There is a war in the south now. If Wei Yan hadn't been in trouble, she wouldn't have left the city overnight."

If something happens to Wei Yan, he should contact the imperial court first...

Zhao Yi still couldn't understand, but Qin Shuhuai's mind had already turned many corners.

But there is one thing Zhao Yi understands.

"However, if something happens to Wei Yan, you don't have to go there in person, right?"

"Don't pretend to be ignorant when you know the truth," Qin Shuhuai gave Zhao Yi a cold look, "I'm not here to take care of Wei Yan's affairs."

"Yes, yes, yes."

Zhao Yi suppressed his smile and said, "You are going to catch your wife."

Qin Shuhuai: "..."